


What He Did for Her

by Gayest_Disney_King_Ever



Category: RWBY
Genre: F/M, Heartbreaking, Qrow as Ruby's father, Qrow did his best, Raven and Ozpin are only mentioned
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-02
Updated: 2018-02-02
Packaged: 2019-03-12 18:49:16
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,232
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13553418
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Gayest_Disney_King_Ever/pseuds/Gayest_Disney_King_Ever
Summary: Qrow did what he had to do, even if it was the harder decision.





	What He Did for Her

**Author's Note:**

> I really love the theory that Qrow is Ruby's dad and I've been itching to write more parent/child relationship dynamics since I posted Doubt. It's been hard to think of anything else, so I finally typed it out! I really hope you enjoy and cry your eyes out, I know I did.

Every huntsman knew what fear felt like, but not every huntsman knew the fear of being a parent. So few could even comprehend the racing heartbeat and sweaty palms of a parent. A parent just wanted their child (or children) to grow up safe and secure in a happy and peaceful environment. Qrow thought of his sister and changed his mind. Well, at least he wanted that for his kids.

So, when his bouncing baby girl was born, her was terrified out of his mind. He was too scared to even hold her. And no one could blame him because they knew how hard this was for him. He always wanted kids, but knew it wasn’t a good idea. And now it was real and so much more frightening than he could have ever imagined.

Eventually Summer coaxed the sleeping child into his arms. He couldn’t believe the calm that rushed over him. Looking down at his daughter, everything seemed to stop and ease his anxieties.

It first happened several weeks after Ruby’s birth, and those anxieties came rushing back. A tree fell and almost landed on him while he was taking Ruby out for a breath of fresh air. He panicked and took her to Taiyang, begging him to watch Ruby until Summer came home from her mission. He wasn’t cut out for this. He was a danger to those he cared about, including this little girl who’s finger he was already wrapped around.

“Qrow, you can’t do this forever,” Taiyang chided, still holding a sleeping Ruby in his arms. “You can’t keep running away from your problems.”  
“She could die! Sum could die!”

“So could you! So could we all! And yet we roomed with you for four years and we’re all fine, Qrow. Everything’s alright.”

Qrow glanced over at Yang, a small toddler sitting at the table making a mess of the food before her and suddenly he felt more downcast.

“No it isn’t Tai. Nothing is fine. Raven ran away, Oz is sending Sum away more and more often, and we’re both in charge of lives on top of our own now. We can barely take care of ourselves.”

Taiyang glanced over at his daughter, a frown pulling at the corners of his lips. “Qrow, things change and we learn how to change with them. We aren’t living the same lives as when we were at school. Things change. People come and go, but those that stay make everything so much more worth it.”

Tai held Ruby in one arm and with the other clasped Qrow on the shoulder. “You can’t change your semblance, but you can’t freak out every time it activates either. It’s just something you have to live with Qrow and that sucks, but if anyone can do it, you can.”

Qrow let out a great deep breath, and managed to smile bitterly. “These _what if_ s keep consuming me. Thanks for grounding me.” In turn, he clasped Tai on his shoulder briefly before going to pick up Ruby nervously. Once in his arms, she awoke and upon seeing her father babbled happily.

“Thanks, Tai.”

 

Later, things were going well. Ruby was the happiest baby he’d ever seen whereas Yang had the temper of a raging fire. The days when Summer was home from her missions were the best. He felt like he could relax. He knew someone was there in case something happened. And having his favorite girls together were some of the happiest moments of his life.

Sadly, it didn’t last.

Before he knew it, Summer was gone. Like a leaf in the wind. It was unexpected, but he should have seen it coming.

One day, she left on a mission and just never came back.

It was too much like Raven, just gone never to return. The only difference was Raven had chosen to abandon her daughter, Summer had been ripped away from her future too soon.

 

Taiyang was sure Qrow had been getting better until a storm occurred one night and he was woken by someone banging on the door. Yang cried at the noise in her crib by his bed. He picked her up to take her to the door. Looking out the peephole, he saw Qrow with Ruby hidden under his cloak in the pouring rain and quickly pulled open the door. Qrow rushed in past Taiyang and when the blonde turned around, he couldn’t tell if Qrow’s face was red because of his crying or the cold rain and wind outside.

“Are you insane!? Ruby should not be out in this kind of weather!” Taiyang shouted as Qrow quacked in his shoes from the cold.

“I know, but but, I can’t do this!” Qrow explained in a small and shaking voice. “Something bad is going to happen because of me. She’s gonna die and I’m not going to have anyone. Tai, please. I’m begging you. Take Ruby. Raise her as your daughter.”

Taiyang’s eyes widened in surprise. “Qrow, wh-what?”

“I...I had a nightmare that there was a scorpion in her crib. I couldn’t wake myself up to save her. I couldn’t move! I woke just as it went to sting her and what if that really happens?”  
“What if it doesn’t?”

“But what if it _does_!?”

Tai fell silent and so did Qrow, quietly weeping as he clutched Ruby close.

“You’ll be there for her when she needs you. And right now she needs you,” Tai finally piped up with his brows furrowed closely together.

“What she _needs_ is a family. Maybe even a sister,” Qrow nodded towards Yang in Tai’s arms. “She _needs_ to be safe. Please, Tai.”

Tai watched the broken man before him and couldn’t find it in himself to say no.

 

Qrow came around when he could, but knew the longer he stuck around, the more danger he’d put his little petal in. He watched from afar, often. A quiet guardian. He didn’t know when it became a problem, but he was man enough to admit he had a problem. He became known as the drunk uncle Qrow. Every time he came around, he noticed the pitiful look in Tai’s eyes, but elected to ignore it. Qrow knew he’d made the right decision.

 

The shock with discovering her real lineage was something Ruby wouldn’t experience until her adult years. She was helping Qrow clean out his house as he was moving closer to Beacon to work as the headmaster until Oscar was old enough to take over.

Boxes of photos clattered to the floor as she stared in shock at the picture in her hand. Qrow and Summer on their wedding day. She dropped to her knees and scrambled through the other pictures. Pictures of her mother in the hospital holding her. Another picture of Qrow holding her with “his first time holding his daughter” scrawled on the back in what Ruby could only assume to be Summer’s handwriting.

Pictures taken of her asleep in her true father’s arms or her meeting a much younger Yang for the first time.

“Qrow,” she called out in a squeaky voice.

Her father emerged in the doorway only to see a sobbing Ruby. The guilt from all of these years piled high on his heart, but he gave a small, bitter smile. “Sorry, petal,” he mumbled before walking over kneel next to her. “I’m so sorry.”


End file.
